Battletech-Mercenaries: Planetary System

Saffel
Associated MERC-NET Contracts: SL-RR-04-01 SL-GD-04-01 SL-EX-06-01 SL-RR-04-02 SL-PA-04-02 SL-SC-04-01 DC-PA-12-01

	Region: Draconis Combine
	Ambassador: Tomoe Katsuie
	X:	25.82	Y:	12
	Planetary Capital:		Iwanji
	Primary Climate:		Subarctic
	Approximate Population:		1.289 Billion People
	Days to Jump Point:		5 days
Planet Details: When first discovered, Saffel was a rather cold world at the onset of a minor ice age. The first colonists were hardy folk from Terra's Siberian, Scandinavian and Canadian regions, who found the cooler temperatures reminiscent of their homelands and planned to build cities on the north polar continent of Dovejin, Saffel's largest landmass. This frigid land, half-covered in a glacial ice cap, was considered an ideal location due to the large metal deposits detected during early surveys. Unfortunately, before these rich veins could be tapped, the so-called Outer Reaches Rebellion broke out, leading to the eventual collapse of the Terran Alliance's dominion over its far-flung worlds. With it went the fledgling settlements' only means of support. Unable to obtain the equipment necessary to turn their new home into an economically viable system and poorly equipped to handle their sudden, unasked-for independence as the harsh Saffel winter set in, many of these first colonists perished. By the time the Terran Hegemony formed nearly 100 years later, the surviving population had migrated to the warmer equatorial zones, particularly the continents of Awonera and Sophrati. Eking out an existence in the rugged, thickly wooded plains of these new lands, the scattered communities didn't know what to make of the arrival of new settlers from the Hegemony, especially when these newcomers claimed the early cities that had been abandoned by their forebears. A brief brushfire conflict broke out between the old and new inhabitants of Saffel before the Hegemony government managed to negotiate a truce. In the heyday of the Star League, Saffel became known as an exporter of valuable metals, as well as home to the Saffel Medical Institute. Located in the city of Radjik on Awonera, the SMI developed a revolutionary instrument, the Eligus Diagnoser, which was capable of rapidly scanning a patient's body, identifying any known ailments and rendering a diagnosis. Although it was withheld briefly to prevent a panic in the medical community, as some suspected the device could put doctors out of work, the eventual unveiling of the Eligus Diagnoser put Saffel on the map, adding valuable medical equipment to the planet's list of exports. After the collapse of the Star League, Davion forces promptly seized Saffel and established the planet as a gathering point for troops in one of the first major campaigns against House Kurita. In response, the Combine launched a devastating attack in 2787 but failed to capture the planet. Over the following centuries, Saffel was raided and invaded several times but remained largely under the Davion sunburst until the Draconis Combine managed to take the planet after the War of 3039. Saffel today is a peaceful world with a modest metal trade and a subsistence-level agricultural sector. The capital city of Iwanji, located on the southern coast of Dovejin, also serves as the largest commercial spaceport.
Technological Development: High-tech world with advanced research centers and universities; best medical care available; cutting-edge microelectronics industry.
Industrial Level: Heavily industrialized world capable of manufacturing any and all complex output.
Raw Material Dependence: World/system produces all the raw materials needed and commonly exports large quantities of surplus.
Industrial Output: World has a moderate industrial base that produces a few different categories of products, exporting some of the output.
Agricultural Development: World has and environment producing most foods, but relies on some imports for food not capable of being grown.